Billing code 73564: Knee X-rayMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Plain radiographs of one knee taken in at least four distinct views, reported for evaluation of arthritis, injury, patellar concerns, or knee replacement position.
Medicare pays $55.35 for 73564 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 73564 covers
This study obtains four or more distinct radiographic views of one knee. A series may combine AP and lateral views with oblique, tangential patellar, tunnel, or standing weight-bearing views. Orthopedic, sports medicine, and primary care clinicians order these images to evaluate osteoarthritis, fractures, patellar alignment, or knee replacement position. Technologists acquire the images in physician offices, imaging centers, and hospital outpatient departments; a radiologist or treating physician interprets them.
Select the code by counting distinct views obtained of each knee. The imaging record should identify the views or their number; a label such as “complete knee” alone does not establish the count. One or two views are reported with 73560, and three with 73562. Modifier 26 identifies the separately billed interpretation and report, while modifier TC identifies the separately billed imaging equipment, staff, and supplies. Billing without either modifier represents the global service. When four or more views are obtained of both knees, count and report each knee separately; CMS pays each side at 100% when performed bilaterally.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
73564 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $55.35 | Unavailable |
How the 73564 rate is calculated
Each of 73564’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 73564
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.21Practice expense 1.25Malpractice 0.02
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 73564
The CMS indicators that decide how 73564 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 73564
Knee X-ray
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 3 | Each side paid at 100% (no 150% cap). |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
73564 without 26 · national office
$49.43
Knee X-ray
73564-26 · Professional component
$11.02
Pays only the interpretation and report.
73564 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
73564 vs 73562 vs 73560 vs 73565 vs 73580: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 73562Knee X-ray
- 73562 covers exactly three views of one knee. If four or more distinct projections are obtained, use 73564.
- 73560Knee X-ray
- 73560 covers one or two views of a knee. Four or more documented views of that knee support 73564.
- 73565Knee X-ray
- 73565 covers standing AP imaging of both knees. 73564 covers four or more distinct views of a knee, reported for each knee imaged.
- 73580Knee arthrography
- 73580 covers radiologic supervision and interpretation of knee arthrography using intra-articular contrast. 73564 covers a plain radiographic knee study with four or more views.
73564 billing questions
How are views counted to choose this code over 73562?
Count distinct projections of the same knee documented in the imaging record. Three views support 73562, and four or more support 73564; repeat images of the same projection do not add a view.
How is this reported when both knees get four or more views?
Document the view count for each knee and report the bilateral service with side-specific claim information. CMS pays each side separately at 100%.
When should modifier 26 or TC be appended?
Use 26 for a separately billed interpretation and report, such as a physician reading images acquired by a hospital outpatient department. Use TC for separately billed image acquisition; bill globally when the billing entity furnishes both components.
Is a bilateral standing AP view the same as this code?
No. Code 73565 describes standing AP imaging of both knees. Code 73564 requires at least four distinct views of each knee reported.
Can a treating orthopedist bill the interpretation?
Yes, if the orthopedist interprets the knee images and documents a report. Modifier 26 identifies that professional component when another entity furnishes the imaging.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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